Secular Coalition for America - Boy Scoutshttps://www.secular.org/taxonomy/term/5/0
The Secular Coalition for America urges Congress to bar the use of federal funds to assist any organization that discriminates based on religion. The Boy Scouts of America openly practices discrimination against atheists and other nontheists. The "Declaration of Religious Principle" found in BSA's organization's bylaws must be agreed to by every participant, volunteer, or employee. This declaration states that "no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God...The recognition of God as the ruling and leading power in the universe and the grateful acknowledgment of His favors and blessings are necessary to the best type of citizenship and are wholesome precepts in the education of the growing members." enModel Secular Policy Guide for Legislatureshttps://www.secular.org/content/model-secular-policy-guide-legislatures
<p><a href="http://secular.org/files/model_secular_policy_guide1.pdf"><img style="float: right;" src="http://secular.org/files/mspg_cover.jpg" border="0" width="232" height="299" /></a>The Secular Coalition&rsquo;s <a href="http://secular.org/files/model_secular_policy_guide1.pdf">Model Secular Policy Guide</a> is a collaboration of the entire nontheistic movement, endorsed by 86 nontheistic, secular and affiliated organizations across the country. The guide covers a multitude of issues affecting secular and nontheistic Americans in public life including health policy, science education, tax exemptions, religiously-based discrimination, and the treatment of nontheists in the military, among others.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Model Policy Guide is meant to help educate legislators on the views of secular and nontheistic Americans on pertinent issues, and includes historical background and legal precedent. It will be distributed to every office on Capitol Hill, state legislative offices across the country and will also be available on the Coalition&rsquo;s website following the launch events.</p>
<p><strong>Areas of focus include: <br /></strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Health and Safety</li>
<li>Education </li>
<li>Discrimination </li>
<li>Tax Policy</li>
<li>Military </li>
<li>International</li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://secular.org/files/model_secular_policy_guide1.pdf">View or download the guide here &gt;&gt;</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>ResearchExecutive Branch "under God" in the PledgeAcknowledging NontheistsBoy ScoutsChristian NationCivil Rights/Religious DiscriminationConscience ClausesCourt StrippingCreationism/Intelligent DesignFaith-Based ProgramsJudicial NominationsLGBT Civil RightsMarriage AmendmentMember OrganizationsNontheist Public OfficialsOfficial PrayersOur ConstituencyPrivileging ReligionReligion in Political CampaignsReligion in the MilitaryReligious Symbols on Gov't PropertyReproductive RightsRLUIPA/RFRASex EducationStem CellsVouchers for Religious SchoolsWed, 11 Dec 2013 14:54:03 +0000Lauren Youngblood1800 at https://www.secular.orgSecular Coalition Disappointed with Boy Scouts’ Continued Discrimination Policyhttps://www.secular.org/news/secular-coalition-disappointed-boy-scouts%E2%80%99-continued-discrimination-policy
<p>WASHINGTON, DC -- The Secular Coalition for America today said the Boy Scouts&rsquo; recent decision to allow openly gay boys is a positive step in the right direction, but does not go far enough. The SCA expressed disappointment that the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has decided to continue its policy of discrimination against atheists and gay Scout leaders.</p>
<p>On Thursday, Boy Scouts leaders voted to open their ranks to openly gay boys for the first time. However, the Scouts&rsquo; longstanding ban on atheists and gay adults remains.</p>
<p>Edwina Rogers, executive director of the Secular Coalition for America said the Coalition is pleased that the Scouts have decided to allow&nbsp; openly gay youth, but that it&rsquo;s not enough.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Discrimination is wrong &mdash; whether it&rsquo;s directed at children or adults, atheists or the religious,&rdquo; Rogers said. &ldquo;We will continue to encourage the Scouts to address the full range of discrimination against atheists and LGBT adults.</p>
<p>While the Boy Scouts is a private organization, it holds a Congressional Charter and accepts federal funds via the use of supplies, space and equipment.</p>
<p>Equal Opportunity regulations in the military explicitly prohibit support of organizations that discriminate, however, there is close collaboration between the military and the Scouts. The President of the United States traditionally serves as the honorary president of the BSA, and Eagle Scouts are given automatic promotions upon enlistment in all branches of U.S. military service. In addition, there are explicit regulatory concessions given to BSA to use on-post military buildings and to support Boy Scout Jamborees. Finally, the Department of Defense promotes scouting among military families.</p>
<p>&ldquo;No organization that discriminates on the basis of religion or religious beliefs should receive federal support,&rdquo; Rogers said. &ldquo;We look forward to a time when the Boy Scouts will be a completely inclusive organization that does not discriminate at all based on religious belief or sexual orientation.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>CONTACT</strong>: Lauren Anderson Youngblood, SCA Communications Manager at <a href="mailto:lauren@secular.org">lauren@secular.org</a> or (202)299-1091 ext. 205, cell (202)630-9725</p>Press ReleasesBoy ScoutsFri, 24 May 2013 15:51:56 +0000Lauren Youngblood1571 at https://www.secular.orgGovernment Funding of Boys Scouts' Discriminatory Policies Unacceptablehttps://www.secular.org/news/government-funding-boys-scouts-discriminatory-policies-unacceptable
<p>WASHINGTON, DC-The Secular Coalition for America is disappointed at the recent decision by the Boy Scouts of America to continue its policy of discrimination against nontheists and the LGBT community.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Boy+Scouts+of+America" target="_self">Boy Scouts of America</a> announced Tuesday that after a two year review, it is reaffirming its ban on gay and nontheistic members. While the Boy Scouts claim they can discriminate because they are a private organization, they hold a Congressional Charter and enjoy support and participation from government agencies and officials.<br /><br />The Secular Coalition for America calls on the United States government to end any taxpayer funding of the organization while it continues its discriminatory practices.<br /><br />"It is unconscionable that an organization that discriminates against Americans based on religion and sexual orientation is permitted to do so with the support of the taxpayer funding," said Lauren Anderson Youngblood, Secular Coalition for America communications manager. "If the Boy Scouts is determined to continue discriminating, it should be stripped of all public funding and support from public agencies."<br /><br />Some of the support the BSA receives from the government are:</p>
<ul>
<li>The <a href="http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/2554" target="_blank">US Code authorizes</a> the Secretary of Defense to lend supplies and equipment and transportation for Boy Scout events.</li>
<li>All branches of the military issue a promotion (to E2 or E3) for Eagle Scouts, the highest Boy Scout rank. This constitutes discrimination in hiring by the military as well as government approval of the Boy Scouts' discriminatory policies.</li>
<li>Equal Opportunity regulations in the military explicitly prohibit support of organizations that discriminate. Yet there is a close collaboration between the military and the Scouts. <a href="http://www.militaryatheists.org/regs/DODI1015-9pv1999.pdf" target="_blank">Department of Defense Instruction 1015.9</a> directs the Secretary of the Army to the Executive Agent for all components of the DoD to promote scouting among military families as directed by the President.</li>
<li>The U.S. President traditionally serves as the honorary President of the Boy Scouts of America, a tradition which President Obama has continued.</li>
<li>In early 2005, Congress passed a resolution expressing a sense of the Congress that the Department of Defense should support BSA activities through the use of military personnel, federal land use, and other assistance for their massive Jamborees. The 2005 Jamboree cost taxpayers approximately $8 million.</li>
<li>In 2008, Congress voted to pass the "Boy Scouts of America Centennial Commemorative Coin Act" (H.R. 5872). The bill mandated that the U.S. Mint create and sell as many as 350,000 one dollar coins commemorating the Scouts' centennial in the year 2010. A ten dollar surcharge on each coin goes directly to the Boy Scouts of America, who will net as much as $3.5 million in the deal.</li>
</ul>
<p>"The Boy Scouts enjoy special privileges from the Department of Defense, including funding, facilities, organization, advertising, and incentives in hiring for their Eagle Scouts," said Jason Torpy, President of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers. " The BSA should reject public promotions if they wish to operate as a private organization. If they wish to be quasi-government youth development agency, then the federal government should require they abandon discrimination based on belief and sexual orientation."<br /><br />Anti-discrimination laws as well as the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment should prohibit federal support of the BSA. The courts have allowed the BSA (as a private membership organization) to discriminate, but the U.S. government must not be permitted to aid in such discriminatory behavior.<br /><br />"When Congress gives money to the Boy Scouts, it is implicitly endorsing the religious discrimination practiced by the organization," said Youngblood. "They are implying to young boys that only those who believe in god can be good citizens-not only is that immoral, but also unconstitutional."</p>
<p><strong>CONTACT</strong>: Lauren Anderson Youngblood, SCA Communications Manager, at 202-299-1091 ext. 205 or <a href="mailto:laure@secular.org">laure@secular.org</a></p>Press ReleasesBoy ScoutsCivil Rights/Religious DiscriminationPrivileging ReligionReligion in the MilitaryThu, 19 Jul 2012 20:45:38 +0000Lauren Youngblood890 at https://www.secular.orgSecular Coalition Flunks U.S. House on Religious Freedom Issueshttps://www.secular.org/content/secular-coalition-flunks-us-house-religious-freedom-issues
<p>WASHINGTON, D.C.&mdash;The Secular Coalition for America today released its <a href="http://secular.org/content/scorecards/Congress/2011/Summary">2011 Congressional Report Card</a>. A majority of the members of the U.S. House of Representatives earned failing grades on seven issues related to religious liberty and discrimination against nontheistic and secular Americans.<br /><br />The Representatives were scored on seven bills and amendments they voted on during the first session of the 112th Congress. Each addressed important issues for the secular and nontheistic communities. The grades were calculated by the number of votes favorable to secular Americans, as determined by the Secular Coalition, and divided by the total number of votes on all seven issues voted by each individual member.&nbsp; Not all members voted on all seven issues and their scores were adjusted accordingly.<br /><br />Representatives earned a grade from &ldquo;A&rdquo; to &ldquo;F&rdquo; based on their scores. The majority of members, both Democrat and Republican, received a grade of &ldquo;C&rdquo; or below, with the overwhelming majority of Republicans receiving a grade of &ldquo;F&rdquo;. Seventy-two Democrats and no Republicans received a grade of &ldquo;A&rdquo; or &ldquo;B&rdquo;.<br /><br />&ldquo;The results of this report card show that our secular government struggles to be free from the encroachment of religion,&rdquo; said Herb Silverman, president of the Secular Coalition. &ldquo;The only way to protect everyone&rsquo;s right to religious freedom is to keep all religion out of government and leave it free for the individual to pursue or not.&rdquo;<br /><br /><strong>Grades earned by Representatives include:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Grade A</strong>: 17 Democrats, 0 Republicans</li>
<li><strong>Grade B</strong>: 55 Democrats, 0 Republicans</li>
<li><strong>Grade C</strong>: 110 Democrats, 6 Republicans</li>
<li><strong>Grade D</strong>: 5 Democrats, 5 Republicans</li>
<li><strong>Grade F</strong>: 3 Democrats, 230 Republicans</li>
</ul>
<p><br /><em>(The total number of Representatives graded does not equal 435 due to members who did not vote,, did not serve a full term, or were absent due to injury.)</em><br /><br /><strong>The report card included the votes on the following legislation:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>HR33</strong>&mdash;The Church Plan Investment Clarification Act.</li>
<li><strong>HR 440</strong>&mdash;To establish a Special Envoy to Promote Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in the Near East and South Central Asia.</li>
<li><strong>HR471</strong>&mdash;The Scholarship Opportunity and Results Act.</li>
<li><strong>HR 473</strong>&mdash;To convey land to the Boy Scouts of America, which discriminates against nontheists (voice vote; all Representatives earned a negative score).</li>
<li><strong>H. Con. Res. 13</strong>&mdash; To reaffirm &ldquo;In God We Trust&rdquo; as the national motto of the United States.</li>
<li><strong>H. Amdt. 95</strong>&mdash;To eliminate federal funds to Planned Parenthood, a national secular nonprofit organization that provides reproductive and health services, based on religious objections.</li>
<li><strong>H. Amdt. 245</strong>&mdash;To add a new section to the Congressional Acceptance of Scientific Findings acknowledging climate change.</li>
</ul>
<p><br />&ldquo;These grades underscore the importance of having a watchdog like the Secular Coalition for America protecting the secular character of our government,&rdquo; Silverman said. &ldquo;Every Representative must be accountable to their constituents&mdash;including nontheistic and secular Americans&mdash;for how they vote.&rdquo;<br /><br />On March 23, 2012, the Secular Coalition for America will lead secular-minded Americans to Capitol Hill for the <a href="http://secular.org/ReasonLobby">Lobby Day for Reason</a>, an event to allow atheists, agnostics, humanists, and secular Americans to directly lobby their members of Congress on the issues that matter to the nontheistic community.<br /><br />The Secular Coalition for America released its <a href="http://secular.org/content/2012-presidental-candidate-scorecard">2012 Presidential Candidate Scorecard</a> last month, grading the major presidential candidates on their stances on nine issues important to secular and nontheistic Americans. An updated Presidential Candidate Scorecard will be released this summer, prior to the election, and the Secular Coalition for America will continue to serve as a Congressional watchdog for secular and nontheistic Americans.<br />&nbsp;<br />View the 2011 Congressional Report Card at: <a href="http://secular.org/content/scorecards/Congress/2011/Summary">http://secular.org/content/scorecards/Congress/2011/Summary</a></p>
<p><strong>For more information, contact Communications Manager, Lauren Anderson Youngblood at 202-299-1091 ext. 205 or <a href="mailto:lauren@secular.org">lauren@secular.org</a>.</strong></p>Press Releases"under God" in the PledgeAcknowledging NontheistsBoy ScoutsPrivileging ReligionReligious Symbols on Gov't PropertyThu, 19 Jan 2012 16:27:01 +0000Lauren Youngblood580 at https://www.secular.orgSecular Coalition Fails Most 2012 Presidential Candidates on Religiously Intrusive Issueshttps://www.secular.org/content/secular-coalition-fails-most-2012-presidential-candidates-religiously-intrusive-issues
<p>WASHINGTON, D.C. &ndash;The Secular Coalition for America today released its<a href="http://secular.org/content/2012-presidental-candidate-scorecard"> 2012 Presidential Candidate Scorecard</a>&mdash;a guide for secular-minded Americans on the presidential candidates in the upcoming 2012 election. The scorecard ranks the major candidates of both Republican and Democratic parties on issues important to nontheistic Americans, and all Americans who support a robust separation of church and state.<br /><br />Of the three leading Republican candidates, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and U.S. Representative Ron Paul received mostly negative scores, while former U.S. Representative and Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich received a grade of &ldquo;F&rdquo; in almost every category. U.S. Representative Michelle Bachmann, Texas Governor Rick Perry, and former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum also received almost exclusively negative grades in most categories. Former Utah Governor and Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman and President Barack Obama received mixed positives.<br /><br />&ldquo;Given the current political climate, I&rsquo;m not surprised that the candidates received mixed ratings at best,&rdquo; said Herb Silverman, President of the Secular Coalition for America. &ldquo;Nontheists almost never get the opportunity to vote for a candidate who openly acknowledges being an atheist, but it&rsquo;s frightening to see that at least half of the candidates don&rsquo;t have a basic understanding of the principle of separation of church and state on which our country was founded.&rdquo;<br /><br />The scorecard assigned grades of<strong> "A", "B", "C</strong>" or <strong>"F"</strong> to the eight major candidates <strong>based on their public statements</strong> and <strong>actions </strong>on nine subjects:</p>
<ul>
<li>Attitude Toward Nontheists</li>
<li>Church &amp; State Separation</li>
<li>Taxpayer Funding of Religion</li>
<li>God, Faith &amp; Governance</li>
<li>Endorsements &amp; Associations</li>
<li>Evolution</li>
<li>Scientifically Based Regulations &amp; Legislation</li>
<li>Religious Discrimination &amp; Civil Rights</li>
<li>Religious Refusal Laws&nbsp; </li>
</ul>
<p><br />With the rise of the Christian Right, religion has played an increased role in recent elections. This year, the candidates have emphasized how their religious faith influences their public life. In November, all but two of the Republican candidates&mdash;Jon Huntsman and Mitt Romney&mdash;participated in the Thanksgiving Family Forum debate at an Iowa evangelical mega-church which focused on the candidates&rsquo; religious beliefs.<br /><br />For the nearly 50 million secular Americans&mdash;and the millions more who value the separation of church and state&mdash;the scorecard provides information on where each candidate stands on issues important to them.<br /><br />Of the mixed positive grades, Huntsman scored well because of his ability to separate his personal religious beliefs from his secular duties as an elected official. Obama also received positive marks because of his open inclusion of nontheists, and support for separation of church and state and scientifically based regulations and legislation.<br /><br />Of the lead Republicans, Gingrich&rsquo;s responses were overwhelmingly negative, showing hostility toward secular Americans and an unwillingness to separate his religious beliefs from his previous and prospective roles as an elected official. His statements were hostile to atheists, going so far as to refer to atheists as un-American. He said, &ldquo;I am convinced that if we do not decisively win the struggle over the nature of America, by the time [my grandchildren are] my age they will be in a secular atheist country, potentially one dominated by radical Islamists and with no understanding of what it once meant to be an American.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;While voters will choose a candidate based on many issues, we hope this scorecard will help voters make a more informed decision,&rdquo; Secular Coalition President Herb Silverman said. &ldquo;We will continue to hold all our politicians accountable to the constitutional mandate for separation of church and state.&rdquo;<br /><br />Closer to the November 2012 election, the Secular Coalition will publish an updated scorecard to compare both the Republican and Democratic party nominees, including Vice Presidential running mates, and any notable third-party candidates.<br /><br />View the 2012 Presidential Candidate Scorecard in its entirety at<a href="http://secular.org/content/2011-presidental-candidate-scorecard"> http://secular.org/content/2012-presidental-candidate-scorecard</a>. View the PDF at <a href="http://secular.org/files/2012scapresidentialcandidatescorecard.pdf">http://secular.org/files/2012scapresidentialcandidatescorecard.pdf</a>.</p>
<p><br /><br /><strong>CONTACT: </strong>Lauren Anderson Youngblood, SCA communications manager:202-299-1091 ext. 205 or <a href="mailto:lauren@secular.org">lauren@secular.org</a> <br /><br />The Secular Coalition for America is a 501 c(4) organization that serves as the national lobby for atheists, humanists, freethinkers, and other nontheistic Americans. Composed of ten diverse member organizations, SCA works to protect and strengthen the secular character of our government as the best guarantee of freedom for all. For more information, please visit <a href="http://www.secular.org" title="www.secular.org">www.secular.org</a>.</p>Press ReleasesAcknowledging NontheistsBoy ScoutsChristian NationCivil Rights/Religious DiscriminationConscience ClausesCreationism/Intelligent DesignFaith-Based ProgramsLGBT Civil RightsMarriage AmendmentOfficial PrayersPrivileging ReligionReligion in Political CampaignsSex EducationVouchers for Religious SchoolsThu, 22 Dec 2011 21:59:00 +0000Lauren Youngblood518 at https://www.secular.orgRevoke Public Funding to the Boy Scouts Due to Religiously-Based Discriminationhttps://www.secular.org/issues/bsa
<p>Neil Polzin joined the Boy Scouts when he was nine years old. At age eighteen Neil was awarded his Eagle Scout badge. For nine years, Neil Polzin worked for the Boy Scouts of America organization as an Aquatics Director for a Boy Scout camp.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Scouts made me who I am,&rdquo; said Neil. &ldquo;At 14, I became a life guard and began training other life guards&mdash;that&rsquo;s how I met my fianc&eacute;e. The merit badges that I did in biology and chemistry as a teenager led me to discover my love of science and major in Chemistry. The rescue skills that Scouts taught me enabled me to save lives; on a hiking trip I came across a stranded hiker and my Scouts survival skills allowed me to climb down a ravine and perform first-aid for seven hours until the hiker could be rescued by an emergency helicopter. My work at the Boy Scouts camp and the hundreds of hours I&rsquo;ve volunteered with the Scouts is my way of giving back to an organization that has profoundly shaped me as a person.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Yet, after almost two decades, Neil was ordered to &ldquo;sever any ties&rdquo; with the Boy Scouts of America when it became known to higher-ups in the organization that Neil was an atheist. In June 2009, Neil received a letter stating that the Boy Scouts &ldquo;did not feel he was a capable role model for children&rdquo; because he does not have a god-belief. Neil was fired from his job as Aquatics Director and told to never contact anyone from his local troop again.</p>
<ul>
<li>Neil&rsquo;s story is no isolated incident. Many American families are hurt by the Scout&rsquo;s discriminatory practices barring those without a god belief from participation at both the child and adult level.</li>
<li>Congress has continually chosen to fund the Boy Scouts of America, most recently in 2008 when they directed the U.S. Mint to produce commemorative Boy Scouts coins as a 3.5 million dollar fundraiser for the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). [For other examples, see our <a href="bsa/position">position paper</a>.] </li>
<li>In 1785, James Madison argued that a true religion did not need the support of law; that no person, either believer or nonbeliever, should be taxed to support a religious institution of any kind. </li>
<li>When Congress gives money to the Boy Scouts organization, it endorses the religious discrimination practiced by the Boy Scouts.</li>
<li>Federal funding of the Boy Scouts organization allows the organization to continue discriminating against those without a god-belief and teaching young boys that only god-believers can be &ldquo;good citizens.&rdquo;</li>
<li>Many young boys who have a naturalistic world-view are forced to violate their own consciences in order to remain Scouts. </li>
<li>Using tax dollars to impose religious beliefs on others is immoral and unconstitutional.</li>
</ul>
<p><em><strong>The Secular Coalition for America urges Congress to bar the use of federal funds to assist any organization that discriminates based on religion -- including the Boy Scouts of America. We further urge Congress to revoke the federal charter of the Boy Scouts of America.</strong></em></p>
<p>For more detail, read our <a href="http://secular.org/issues/bsa/position">position paper</a>.</p>Position PapersBoy ScoutsThu, 02 Apr 2009 19:07:42 +0000admin60 at https://www.secular.orgCan the Obamas Help the Boy Scouts See the Light?https://www.secular.org/news/Obama_BoyScouts_letter090309.html
<p><img style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; float: right;" src="http://www.secular.org/images/Obama_podium.png" border="0" alt="President Obama" width="158" height="166" />With reports indicating President Obama will accept the traditional role of honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America, the Secular Coalition calls on him to use his power to move the Boy Scouts beyond their "traditional values" and to practice the American values of diversity and tolerance. The Coalition also hopes the First Lady, likely to become Girl Scouts' honorary president, uses her position to promote that group's enlightened embrace of diversity.</p><br />
<div style="font-family: georgia,times,serif;">
<p>March 9, 2009</p>
<p>President Barack Obama<br />
The White House<br />
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW<br />
Washington, DC 20500</p>
<p>Dear Mr. President,</p>
<p>You and the First Lady have been invited to become Honorary Presidents of the Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts of America, respectively; this gives each of you an opportunity to advance our national conversation about diversity and tolerance.</p>
<!--break-->
<p><span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">In recent months, many civil rights groups, ours included, have asked you to decline the traditional role of honorary president of the Boy Scouts because of the group's official policies that discriminate against Americans who do not conform to its "traditional values." In fact, in response to requests from Scout troops around the country to expand inclusion, the Boy Scouts' Executive Board resolved in 2002 to formally prohibit participation by gays and nontheists, effectively institutionalizing discrimination against countless thousands of American children.<br /><br />Because the Secular Coalition's mission is respect and visibility for nontheistic viewpoints and those who hold them, our concern is particularly the Boy Scouts' exclusion of young Americans who do not hold a god belief or have questions about faith. At the Boy Scouts' Legal Issues website (which responds to all the litigation their anachronistic policies invite) the organization states: "Boy Scouts of America believes that an atheist or agnostic is not an appropriate role model of the Scout Oath and Law for adolescent boys. Because of Scouting's methods and beliefs, Scouting does not accept atheists and agnostics as members or adult volunteer leaders."<br /><br />By contrast, the Girl Scout promise reads, "On my honor, I will try: To serve God* and my country." The asterisked note explains that "God" can be replaced, in the spirit of religious tolerance, with "whatever word" these girls and young women feel represents their beliefs. Further, rather than discourage questions, the Girl Scouts celebrate an annual World Thinking Day; the current triennial theme is how to change the world!<br /><br />Mr. President, you have spoken repeatedly and eloquently about ending discrimination, perhaps most famously in your Philadelphia speech on race. You have also decried inequality based on gender, once saying the idea of your daughters suffering gender discrimination made your blood boil. At your White House website, you identify discrimination &ndash; against gays and lesbians in the armed forces, women and seniors in the workplace, people with disabilities in schools and even small farmers in the agricultural sector &ndash; as a scourge your administration will work to eliminate.<br /><br />And yet by all accounts, you will soon become the symbolic leader of an organization which unapologetically discriminates against American citizens based on its backward and inaccurate view that those of us who have no religion have no values. This is a view we are confident you do not personally hold.<br /><br />We therefore appeal to you to use this opportunity to advance your vision of a more inclusive and less divided America. You could begin by accepting the honorary role only on the condition that the Boy Scouts agree to review their discriminatory policies. Additionally, perhaps you and the First Lady, in your respective capacities as honorary presidents of the Boy and Girl Scouts, could arrange for a summit in which leaders from the two organizations discuss expanding access to their valuable programs so more young Americans might benefit from them. Finally, we hope the First Lady would use her position to spotlight the Girl Scouts' tremendous success in actively embracing diversity.<br /><br />We understand that, as president, you must choose your battles carefully. But we also hope you will choose, in the end, to lead the Boy Scouts as you lead our nation, with the vision and courage and ideals that earned you the office you now hold.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><em>Ron Millar</em><br />Acting Director<br /><br />cc: Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States</span></p></div>News StoryExecutive Branch Official Coalition LettersBoy ScoutsMon, 09 Mar 2009 06:00:00 +0000admin90 at https://www.secular.orgWill Obama Endorse Boy Scouts' Discriminatory Practices?https://www.secular.org/news/Obama_BoyScouts090113.html
<p>The Boy Scouts of America traditionally ask the President of the United States to act as honorary president of their organization. The Secular Coalition for America has joined with 18 other major nontheistic groups asking President-elect Obama to decline the invitation because it would be an endorsement of the Scouts' explicit policy of discriminating against nontheistic Americans.<!--break--></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div class="letter">
<p><span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">January 13, 2009</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">Dear President-elect Obama,</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">In light of your campaign promise to bring the nation together in a spirit of change we need, we, the undersigned nontheist organizations, urge you to take this opportunity to signify that discrimination against atheists, agnostics, humanists, and other nontheists will not be condoned.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">Thus we write to urge you to decline the title and role of honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America. The BSA has acted vigorously in recent years to expel atheist and agnostic members and employees. This policy expresses the Declaration of Religious Principle, Bylaws of Boy Scouts of America, art. IX, &sect; 1, cl. 1:</span></p>
<blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God. In the first part of the Scout Oath or Promise the member declares, "On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law." The recognition of God as the ruling and leading power in the universe and the grateful acknowledgment of His favors and blessings are necessary to the best type of citizenship and are wholesome precepts in the education of the growing members.</span></blockquote>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">The BSA has elected to set itself apart as a private organization that may discriminate in ways contrary to the laws and practices required of local, state, and federal authorities. Accepting the title and role of honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America would thus send the message that institutional discrimination against people who don&rsquo;t happen to believe in a god is acceptable.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">Many presidents of the United States have taken on the title of honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America. However, this tradition was established when discrimination against nontheists was, unfortunately, socially acceptable. Given that nontheists now make up a sizeable minority of the American population-&mdash;having more numbers than Mormons, Buddhists, Hindus, and Jews combined-&mdash;the BSA is clearly out of touch with the spirit of pluralism, tolerance, and inclusiveness that compose today&rsquo;s American values. By contrast, in 1993 the Girl Scouts of the United States of America adopted more inclusive policies.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">Therefore, please decline the title and role of honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America until such time as the organization reforms its bylaws and practices to be non-discriminatory.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">Yours in unity,</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">American Atheists<br /> American Ethical Union<br /> American Humanist Association<br /> Atheist Alliance International<br /> Atheist Nexus<br /> Camp Quest<br /> Center for Atheism<br /> Center for Inquiry<br /> Center for Naturalism<br /> Council for Secular Humanism<br /> Freedom From Religion Foundation<br /> FreeThoughtAction<br /> HUUmanists<br /> Institute for Humanist Studies<br /> International Federation for Secular &amp; Humanistic Judaism<br /> Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers<br /><strong>Secular Coalition for America</strong><br /> Secular Student Alliance<br /> Society for Humanistic Judaism </span></p>
</div>Coalition UpdatesExecutive Branch Official Coalition LettersBoy ScoutsCivil Rights/Religious DiscriminationTue, 13 Jan 2009 07:00:00 +0000admin82 at https://www.secular.org